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A 40-year-long journey: Roanoke College professor finally gets to compete on ‘Jeopardy!’

Dr. Gary Hollis’ childhood dreams of being featured on the show have come true decades later

ROANOKE, Va. – A Roanoke College professor is moving on to the next round of “Jeopardy!”

Dr. Gary Hollis has been teaching at the college since 1995.

He says he watched “Jeopardy!” from the time he was a kid and has been trying for decades to get on the show.

Finally, he got a call in October and was flown to Los Angeles for taping.

Hollis won his opening-round game earlier this week and says it was an honor to represent his school.

“If you really want to do something, if something is meaningful to you or you want it for whatever reason, be persistent,” Hollis said. “This was a 40-year journey. To finally see it pay off was wonderful.”

Despite the difficult questions, Hollis says the buzzer is the hardest thing to master.

You can watch a clip from Hollis’ opening-round game here.


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About the Author
Lindsey Kennett headshot

You can watch Lindsey during Virginia Today every weekend or as a reporter during the week!